


I Feel...

by that_one_kid



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Mantis loves her found family, Nebula Needs a Hug, The Guardians have Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-30 17:48:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18320225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/that_one_kid/pseuds/that_one_kid
Summary: Very short 5 Times a Guardian Let Mantis Touch Them + 1 Time She Didn't Mean To





	I Feel...

**Author's Note:**

> See end for trigger warnings

"May I?" she asked, her antenna fluttering. She was trying to seem playful (leaving aside the smile that had caused Drax such distress) but she was wildly curious about this strange child of Ego, who was not a child at all. Her touch startled him (cold-not-warm). He flickered through emotions quickly (distrust-curiosity-worry) but settled on - "Love!" Mantis cried delightedly. "You feel love!"

~ ~ ~

 

Drax sat on the staircase, speaking of his daughter and staring out at the ponds with a distant light in his eyes. She gently, hesitantly, brought her hand up, and when he didn't flinch away she let it settle on the raised tattoos swirling his arms. 

He leaned into it (grief-loss-love) and she pulled what pain she could from him, to thank him for the laughter he had given her earlier. 

 

~ ~ ~ 

 

The puppy was sad, she knew that. Anyone looking should have known that, she felt. He practically begged for their attention, mostly by being bad. One night, Baby Groot led her to his room, where she found the puppy twitching and crying out in his sleep. She rested a hand gently on his head (embarrassment-fear-loneliness) and pulled all the emotions to her, sharing the burden. He gave a contented sigh, and curled up into a tight little ball. 

 

~ ~ ~

 

Gamora didn't say anything, just stormed into Mantis' room one night, sticking her arm out angrily. Mantis carefully laid a hand on her arm and ignored the (distrust-shame-hope) swirling inside as she said, softly, “Sleep.” 

She caught Gamora as she melted boneless to the ground and carried her self-consciously back to her room. 

 

~ ~ ~

 

Groot touched her a lot. He climbed over her hands, snuggled into her hair, laid on her back. He felt like joy and fear and rage and hope and everything that children always felt of. Sometimes she put him to sleep, too, when his antics drove the crew to absolute distraction or when his fear was too much.

 

~ ~ ~ 

 

Mantis never expected to see the blue-skinned woman again. She knew a little about her - she was Gamora's sister, she put the group on edge, she fought better than anyone Mantis had ever known, and she'd saved Gamora's life at least twice on Ego. Still, she was more than surprised to walk around a corner in the ship and encounter Nebula storming the other way. 

 

Mantis crashed into her, sending them both sprawling to the ground, and Nebula grabbed her arm in a rough reflex that was painfully reminiscent of Gamora when she was startled. She couldn't feel Nebula, because the cool metal hand wrapped around her wrist could not express anything. But then she shifted uncomfortably, and came into contact with Nebula's bare upper arm. Her scream brought the whole ship running. 

 

Drax yanked a stunned Nebula off of Mantis, pinning her to the wall by her throat. She didn't struggle, just stared wide-eyed at Mantis, who had managed to stop screaming but was panting heavily. 

 

"I didn't hurt her,” Nebula rasped at last through her compressed throat, sounding more irritated than scared. "I barely touched her."

 

"You touched her?" Peter asked, and turned to Mantis. "Did you feel something? Some emotion of Nebula's? Anger?"

 

"Pain," Mantis whispered, tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes. "She is hurting, always, like fire in her veins. Please help her." And then she slumped to the side, unconscious. 

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger warnings for mentions of the loss of a child, an abusive childhood, prosthetics and chronic pain


End file.
